This summer has been one for the books.
Sometimes hot, sometimes really windy, and two kids at home for the first time since they were 4! Camp was thier place. Where they felt like they could be themselves, could eat everything everyone else eats (they are gluten free). Camp was canceled thanks to COVID-19, so after a few days of tears I had to figure out what to do with them.
Sure people say "oh you live on the Cape, you can go to the beach every day." Well I guess in a perfect world, if I had a house keeper and a chef we could, but we don't. We don't go every day for a few reasons - 1) nothing here would get done with me on a chair at the beach. 2) noone would get any Knit Kits, yarn or any other fun stuff and 3) my husband would be hungry. (truth be told he can totally fend for himself, but us both working from home we have developed a routine of eating meals together.
So, the kids were missing camp - the swimming, the friends, art, camp games and the general experience. My husband and I set out to make an experience at home for them that might be campish... Yes - I am currently figuring out how to squish an archery range onto this little slice of Cape Cod I call home. So we repurposed our swing set's club house for a pool cabana, dragged out the pool in a box I bought three years ago and successfully set that up. Hatched a few clutches of chickens and did various art projects I could think of. Enter the dye pot.
My husband has been encouraging me to dye yarn for quite some time. I can't disagree. Sometimes I need a creative outlet beyond the tips of needles. So I bought some yarn and dye. Then we hit the pots with masks and gloves. Wow - I have a new found appreciation for hand dyers. Its harder than it looks for it to look like something you didn't just toss together. We are learning. Lots of YouTube, reading and "oh my god don't do that it will be brown" (I say that alot). So the brainchild of COVID has become Summer Camp Yarn where we try to capture the entirety of the camp experience of camp on Cape Cod through color. Everything is dyed outside in the sun.
So check it out. My boys, they have coined themselves "The Shirtless Brothers" help dye each skein, and they earn money from each skein sold. One is 8 and wants a new BMX bike and the other who is 11 bounces back and forth from a gaming computer (which I can't say Im a fan of) to a super mountain bike. We are always outside, so dying yarn outside is only fitting. Take a peek ....its kinda cool.